Already during my first travel to Japan more than 20 years ago I got in touch with Sake, faced with the possibility to visit a sakagura 酒蔵 (Sake brewery) in Takashima (Shiga prefecture).
On the evening of this very day I had dinner with some friends drinking a bottle of nigorizake にごり酒 (a cloudy, only slightly filtered Sake) that was produced at the brewery I had visited.
The combination of this nigorizake along with sashimi and sushi was a kind of revelation for me.
From that point of my life I started to become a Sake connoisseur using not only any occasion during my numerous Japan tours or at home to taste Sake but also to learn more about the history, production and cultural meaning of Sake.
This finally resulted in the decision to guide this connoisseurship to a new level by starting a Sake Sommelier education.
In Summer 2017 I passed under the guidance of Suvad Zlatic, official representative of the SSA (Sake Sommelier Association) in Austria, the examination with merit and became a Certified Sake Sommelier.
Besides of that I had the honour in spring 2018 to join the
London Sake Challenge, Europe’s oldest sake contest, as an official judge.
In November 2018 I attended the worldwide first Master Sake Sommelier Course SSA at the head quarter in London as one of only eight candidates.
After having successfully passed the highly challenging examinations I’m now Switzerland’s very first Master Sake Sommelier.
In February 2019 my passion for Sake guided me once more to Japan where I attended in order to round off my know-how the Advanced Sake Sommelier Course SSA, which I had skipped before, as well as a special education at the JSS (Japan Sake and Shōchū Makers Association).
Since summer 2019 I’m, moreover, Switzerland’s first Approved Course Provider SSA. With me at SAKE ACADEMY SWITZERLAND® you have the unique possibility, in order to improve your Sake education, to join the Introductory Sake Professional Course as well as the Certified Sake Sommelier Course, the latter one in co-operation with Suwine.
As a Master Sake Sommelier
I offer you:
- consulting services for restaurants and hotels as well as for private persons who want to learn more about the broad range of Sake and its diverse possibilities in regard of food pairing beyond the traditional involvement with Japanese cuisine.
- the possibility to make use of my Sake expertise during
business lunches, private tastings, events, parties etc.